Nail clipper



July 23, 1957 HARUZO SENSHU 2,799, 3

NAIL CLIPPER Filed Feb. 13 1957 INVNTOR HARUZO SENSHU BY ATTORNEYS.

hates atet fire 2,799,923 Fatented July 23, 1957 NAE CLIPPER Haruzo Senshu, Tokyo, Japan Application February 13, 1957, Serial No. 63?,946

Qlaims. (Ci. 39-28) This invention relates to improvements in nail clippers, and in particular relates to a nail clipper having improved means for disposing of the residue of nail clippings.

One important object of this invention is to provide an improved nail clipper having side walls which are adjustable between an open position and a closed position, so that any residue of nail clippings may be removed from the device merely by moving the side walls to open position.

Another important object of this invention is to provide an improved nail clipper which has improved means for removing the residue of nail clippings and which also has improved means for moving the operating lever thereof to an inoperative position.

In. accordance with a preferred embodiment of the in vention, the improved nail clipper includes spaced upper and lower elongated, resilient walls which are connected to each other at the rear of the clipper and which have respective opposed jaws at the front of the clipper. A pair of upright bars are set into the side edges of the upper and lower walls of the clipper, slightly behind the jaws. The side walls of a channel-shaped member are respectively pivotally connected to said bars intermediate the upper and lower plates of the clipper- Said side walls have a connection below the bottom wall of the clipper. In the closed position of thechannel-shaped member, the side walls thereof close off the side openings between the top and bottom walls of the clipper. Said channelshaped member may be swung to an open position in which the side openings between the upper and lower walls are exposed.

As is customary in nail clippers of this type, a lever is provided for pressing the upper and lower walls toward each other in order to clip the nails.

As an important feature of the invention, the two upright side bars extend upwardly above the top wall, and the lever is pivotally connected between said side bars above the top wall. The lever includes a short front base portion and a relatively long rear handle portion which is inclined upwardly relative to the base portion. A pivot rod extends between the two side bars above the top wall, and said base portion of the lever has an elongated, laterally extending through slot through which said rod extendsslidably and turnably. In the active condition of the lever, said rod abuts the front end of the slot, and the lever may be operated in the usual manner to draw the jaws toward each other. In the inactive condition of the lever, said baseportion of the lever is slid forwardly relativeto the top. wall so that the rod abuts the rear edge of the elongated slot. In this condition, the lever may then be rotated until the handle portion rests upon the top wall of the clipper.

It will be apparent that an important feature of the invention resides in the fact that thestructure of the channel-shaped member, the side bars and the operating lever cooperate to produce a nail clipper from which the nail clippings may be readily disposed, and wherein the operating lever may be readily moved to inactive condition to reduce .the space taken up by theclipper. At the same-time, my improved nail clipper is simple in construction and economical to manufacture;

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become'apparent from the following description, in conjunction with the annexed drawing, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention isdisclosed.

In the. drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of my improved nail clipper, showing the sidewalls in closed position, and operating lever in active condition. and the jaws open.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the improved nail clipper, as viewed from a different angle than in Fig. 1. In Fig. 2, the side walls are shown open so that any residue of nail clippings may be disposed of. The operating lever is in active condition, and the jaws of the clipper are open.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4.4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 3, but showing the lever operated so as to closethe jaws.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the improved nail clipper, with the cover broken away. Fig. 6 shows the operating lever in its inactive condition.

Upon reference to the drawings in detail, it will be apparent that they. disclose a nail clipper having an elongated, longitudinally extending top wall 10 and an elongated, longitudinally extending bottom wall 11. These walls 10 and 11 are in vertical registration and are spaced from each other. These walls It) and 11 are optionally made of. any suitable metal and are preferably somewhat resilient, so that the front ends thereof may be releasably pressed toward each other. Said wall 11 is provided with a rear off-set portion 11a which abuts wall 10, and with a vertical portion 11b connecting the main portion of. wall 11 to the off-set portion 11a. Said oif-set wall portion 11a is connected to wall 10 by any suitable means and is optionally connected to said wall ltlby means of. rivet 12.

The front end of wall 10 is provided with an integral, laterally and downwardly extending, concave jaw 13. The front end of wall 11 is provided with an integral, laterally and upwardly extending, concave jaw 14. These jaws 13 and 14 oppose and register with each other, and are normally spaced from each other. Walls 16 and 11 are adapted to be flexed slightly toward each other, as shown in Fig. 5, in order to bring jaws 13 and 14 into abutment with each other, so as to clip the nails.

Bottom wall 11 is-provided with laterally opposed notches 15 slightly behind jaw 14. Top wall it) is provided with laterally opposed notches 16 slightly behind jaw 13. The notches 15 and 16 on each side of the clipper register vertically.

The nail clipper is provided with a pair of side bars 17. Each said sidebar 17 is generally rectangular in shape and extends vertically and is disposed within respective notches 15 and 16. The outer side face of bar 17 is substantially fiush with the side edges of walls 10 and 11. Said bar 17 is preferably fixed within notch 15 by any suitable means (not shown). The bottom edge of bar 17 is optionally and preferably substantially flush with the lower face of wall. 11. Said bar 17 is preferably positioned vertically slidably within the notch 16-and also protrudes above the upper face of wall It).

The side openingsbetween walls ltland 11 are adapted to be closed by-a channel-shaped closure member--18. This channelmember 18 includes elongated side walls 19 and a connecting; bottom plate 20. Each side wall 19:

is connectedjintfermediate its, top and;bottom edges. to bar 17 intermediate top wallultl andbottom wall 11, by

. tion. Optionally, walls 19. may be pressed slightly towards each other so that they frictionally and slidably engage the side edges of walls and 111 when Walls 19 are moved to closed position.

In the closed position of channel 18, each side wall 19 extends rearwardly from a point between the jaws 13 and 14 and the front edge of bar 17 to the rear edge of connecting member 11b. The upper edge of wall 19 is substantially flush with the upper face of wall 10 in the normal remote condition of walls 10 and 11. The lower edge of wall 19 is substantially flushwith the lower face of wall 11 in the normal remote position of walls 10 and 11.

Also, in said closed position of channel 18 and in the normal remote positions of walls 10 and 11, the bottom wall Zilof channel 18 abuts the bottom face of wall 11. Said'bottom connecting wall 20 optionally extends between a point located rearwardly of the pivot pins 21 to a point located slightly forwardly'of the rear edges of wall 19.

It will be apparent from the'foregoing that when channel 18 is in its closed condition, the walls 19 substantially close the side openings between walls 10 and 11, except at the points immediately adjacent the jaws 13 and 14.

The operating lever 22 includes a base portion 23 and a handle portion 24. Said base 23 is slidably and turnably disposed between the two side bars 17, above plate 10. In the operating condition of lever 22, said base 23 rests upon wall 10. Said base 23 is generally rectangular in shape and is optionally of somewhat greater length than the distance between the front and rear edges of the respective bars 17. The handle 24 is elongated and extends upwardly rearwardly from the rear of the base portion 23 of lever 22. Said handle portion 24 is optionally laterally tapered. In the operating condition of lever 22, said handle portion 24 is disposed at a selected acute angle relative to top wall 10, in the normal remote positions of walls 10 and 11.

Said base portion 23 of operating lever 22 has a slot. 25 which extends between the side faces of base 23, and. which 18 also longitudinally elongated. Said slot 25fex-' tends almost the entire distance between the front and rear of base portion 23. Said base portion 23 is optionally notched at the lower front end portionof slot 25,

and said notch'26 also extends between the side faces of base 23; A pivot rod 27 extends between bar 17 above wall 10. Said rod 27 extends into holes inthe respective j bars 1'7 and is fixed therein by any suitable means (not extends slidably and turnably shown). Said rod 27 through slot 25.

Normally, with rod 27 located within slot 25 and with base 23 .resting upon wall 10, in the manner shown in tion of lever 22. In this activeicondition, lever 22 is adapted to be'actuated to close and open the jaws 13 and 14. 'In the normal position of walls 10 and11, and in the active condition of lever 22, the bottomface of base 23 rests flush. against wall 10,. In order to move I jaws 13 and 14 into operating closed position, the upper end of handle 24 is moved in a clockwise direction, as taken in Fig. 3 and as shown by arrow 28 (Figs. 1 and 3). In this movement of lever 22, the rear edge portion 23a of base 23, which is optionally convex and which serves as a cam, bears against wall 10 and moves it towards wall 11. Actually, lever 22 and bars 17 act'together as a compound lever system so that wall 11 is also flexed somewhat toward wall 10. Fig. 5 shows lever 22 after it has been moved in the direction of arrow 28, and shows both walls 10 and 11 flexed toward each other until jaws 13 and 14 meeteach other in the operating position of said walls 10 and 11.

When lever 22 is released, the resiliency of walls 10 and 11 returns them and lever 22 to the normal position of Figs. l3.

In order to move lever 22 to an inactive condition, it is moved forwardly. relative to wall 10 until rod 27 abuts the rear end of slot 25. The cam edge 23a is then located almost under rod 27. When handle 24 is'then moved in the direction of arrow 28, the cam edge 23a then slides directlyv under rod 27, and the lever 22 merely turns without being able to move the walls 10 and 11 toward each other.

' In the final inactive condition of lever 22, as shown in Fig. 6, the elongated handle portion 24 rests flush against the upper Wall 10 of the clipper. 'It will be apparent that the clip-per is 'muchmore compact in the inactive con-. dition of lever 22, than in the active-condition thereof.

7 The operation ofthe device is briefly summarizedas follows: 1

Lever, 22 is placed in its active condition, and channel 18 is closed. Lever 22 is then operated to successively close and open the jaws 13 and 14 in order to clip the nails. ,Whenever desired, channel member 18 may be opened so that any residue of nail clippings may be readily removed from between walls 10 and 11. After the nails are clipped, lever 22 is returned to its inactive condition.

While I have disclosed 'a preferred embodiment of my invention, and have. indicated various other changes, omissions and additions which may be made therein,.it= will beapparent that various other changes, omissions and additions may be made in the invention without departing from the'scope and spirit thereof.

I claim: 7 V

1. A nail clipper comprising ,top' and bottom walls,

means resiliently connecting said top and bottom walls,,

said walls having opposed jaws at the ends thereof, means for moving said jaws toward and away from each other, a channel-shaped closure member having side walls and a bottom connecting member,,and means pivotally connecting said channel-shaped memberrto the sides of said clipper, said channel-shaped member being movable between a position in which said side walls block the side'openings between said top and bottom walls, and a position in which said side wallsclear said side openings. between said top and bottomwalls. r

2. In a nail clipper haying top and bottom jawed and resiliently connected walls, side bars fixed to the bottom wall and extending past the top wall, side walls hingedly connected to said bars andimovable to positions re spectively closing andexposingthe side spaces between said top and. bottom walls, and an operating lever'pivotally connected .to said bars above said top wall and movable so as to urge the jaws toward eachother;

3. In a nail clipper according to claim'Z, said lever; having a lateral through slot which is also longitudinally elongated, said bars having pivot means extending slid ably and turnably into said slot, said lever havingan ac-' tive position in which said pivot means lie adjacent in,

one end of said slot, said lever being then adapted to be turned to' apply force to said top wall at a point remote from said' pivot means, said lever having an inactiveposition wherein said pivot means lie adjacent to the l other end of said slot, said lever being then adapted to be swung relative to said top plate without exerting force thereon.

4. In a nail clipper having jawed and resiliently connected walls, a bar fixed to said bottom wall and protruding slidably past said top wall, a pivot pin extending laterally from said bar over said top wall, and an operating lever, said operating lever including a base portion having a rear cam edge and an upwardly and rearwardly inclined handle portion connected to said base at said rear edge, said base portion having a lateral through slot which is also longitudinally elongated, said pivot pin extending slidably and turnably into said slot, said lever having an inactive position in which said pivot pin is located proximate to the rear edge of said slot, said cam edge then being located substantially under said pivot pin and said lever being adapted to be turned to bring said handle portion into flush abutment with said top wall without flexing said top wall, said lever having an active position in which said pivot pin lies proximate to the front end of said slot, said cam edge being then located remote from said pivot pin and being adapted to bear against said top Wall to force the jaws together by manipulation of said handle.

5. In a nail clipper according to claim 4, the combination also including a side Wall pivoted to said bar and movable between a position wherein the space between said top and bottom walls is exposed and a position in which the space between said top and bottom Walls is closed.

No references cited. 

